Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, resigned abruptly Monday after federal prosecutors charged her with acting as a covert agent for the People's Republic of China. She has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Wang, 58, and an associate, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, admitted to working on behalf of Beijing to promote Chinese government interests through propaganda. Their platform included the U.S. News Center, a website that posed as a legitimate news source for Southern California's Chinese American community, prosecutors said.
In June 2021, Chinese officials sent Wang pre-written articles via encrypted WeChat messages. One piece, published in the Los Angeles Times, denied allegations of genocide and forced labor in Xinjiang, stating: “There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor to do defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability, weaken local economy, suppress China’s development.” Wang posted the article on her website and shared the link back to the Chinese official, who replied, “So fast, thank you everyone.”
The Chinese government has long faced accusations of committing genocide against ethnic minorities, particularly Muslims, in Xinjiang and of imposing forced labor. Wang's actions helped amplify Beijing's denials, prosecutors say.
In November 2021, Wang coordinated propaganda with a high-level Chinese intelligence official who had direct ties to President Xi Jinping, according to court documents. That official, John Chen of Chino, California, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Sun received a four-year sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025.
“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. “It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed.”
Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. The city’s mayors rotate annually. Her official biography described her as “the daughter of proud immigrants who came to California seeking their American Dream.” Before politics, she served on the Parent Teacher Association at Camino Grove Elementary School and was president of the American Southwest Chamber of Commerce USA.
The city of Arcadia said in a statement: “The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling. We take them seriously. Following an internal review, we can confirm that no city finances, staff or decision-making processes were involved.” The City Council will soon discuss replacing Wang, who represented the 3rd District, until the November 2026 election.
This case highlights growing concerns about foreign influence in local U.S. politics, particularly from China. For more on related geopolitical dynamics, see our analysis on how the Gulf crisis hands China leverage ahead of the Trump-Xi summit and the strategic risks of America's China blind spot.
